Blockchain Lite (Ruby Edition)

blockchain-lite library / gem - build your own blockchain with crypto hashes - revolutionize the world with blockchains, blockchains, blockchains one block at a time

• home :: github.com/openblockchains/blockchain.lite.rb
• bugs :: github.com/openblockchains/blockchain.lite.rb/issues
• gem :: rubygems.org/gems/blockchain-lite
• rdoc :: rubydoc.info/gems/blockchain-lite

What's a Blockchain?

A blockchain is a distributed database with a list (that is, chain) of records (that is, blocks) linked and secured by digital fingerprints (that is, crypto hashes).

See the Awesome Blockchains page for more.

Usage

Let's get started. Build your own blockchain one block at a time. Example:

require 'blockchain-lite'

b0 = Block.first( 'Genesis' )
b1 = Block.next( b0, 'Transaction Data...' )
b2 = Block.next( b1, 'Transaction Data......' )
b3 = Block.next( b2, 'More Transaction Data...' )

blockchain = [b0, b1, b2, b3]

pp blockchain

will pretty print (pp) something like:

[#<Block:0x1eed2a0
  @index         = 0,
  @timestamp     = 2017-09-15 20:52:38,
  @data          = "Genesis",
  @previous_hash = "0",
  @hash          ="edbd4e11e69bc399a9ccd8faaea44fb27410fe8e3023bb9462450a0a9c4caa1b">,
 #<Block:0x1eec9a0
  @index         = 1,
  @timestamp     = 2017-09-15 20:52:38,
  @data          = "Transaction Data...",
  @hash          = "eb8ecbf6d5870763ae246e37539d82e37052cb32f88bb8c59971f9978e437743",
  @previous_hash = "edbd4e11e69bc399a9ccd8faaea44fb27410fe8e3023bb9462450a0a9c4caa1b">,
 #<Block:0x1eec838
  @index         = 2,
  @timestamp     = 2017-09-15 20:52:38,
  @data          = "Transaction Data......",
  @hash          = "be50017ee4bbcb33844b3dc2b7c4e476d46569b5df5762d14ceba9355f0a85f4",
  @previous_hash = "eb8ecbf6d5870763ae246e37539d82e37052cb32f88bb8c59971f9978e437743">,
 #<Block:0x1eec6d0
  @index         = 3,
  @timestamp     = 2017-09-15 20:52:38
  @data          = "More Transaction Data...",
  @hash          = "5ee2981606328abfe0c3b1171440f0df746c1e1f8b3b56c351727f7da7ae5d8d",
  @previous_hash = "be50017ee4bbcb33844b3dc2b7c4e476d46569b5df5762d14ceba9355f0a85f4">]

Blocks

Basic • Proof-of-Work

Supported block types / classes for now include:

Basic

class Block

  attr_reader :index
  attr_reader :timestamp
  attr_reader :data
  attr_reader :previous_hash
  attr_reader :hash

  def initialize(index, data, previous_hash)
    @index         = index
    @timestamp     = Time.now.utc    ## note: use coordinated universal time (utc)
    @data          = data
    @previous_hash = previous_hash
    @hash          = calc_hash
  end

  def calc_hash
    sha = Digest::SHA256.new
    sha.update( @index.to_s + @timestamp.to_s + @data + @previous_hash )
    sha.hexdigest
  end
  ...
end

(Source: basic/block.rb)

Proof-of-Work

class Block

  attr_reader :index
  attr_reader :timestamp
  attr_reader :data
  attr_reader :previous_hash
  attr_reader :nonce        ## proof of work if hash starts with leading zeros (00)
  attr_reader :hash

  def initialize(index, data, previous_hash)
    @index         = index
    @timestamp     = Time.now.utc    ## note: use coordinated universal time (utc)
    @data          = data
    @previous_hash = previous_hash
    @nonce, @hash  = compute_hash_with_proof_of_work
  end

  def calc_hash
    sha = Digest::SHA256.new
    sha.update( @nonce.to_s + @index.to_s + @timestamp.to_s + @data + @previous_hash )
    sha.hexdigest
  end
  ...
end

(Source: proof_of_work/block.rb)

Blockchain Helper / Convenience Wrapper

The Blockchain class offers some convenience helpers for building and checking blockchains. Example:

b = Blockchain.new       # note: will (auto-) add the first (genesis) block

b << 'Transaction Data...'
b << 'Transaction Data......'
b << 'More Transaction Data...'

pp b

Check for broken chain links. Example:

b.broken?
# => false      ## blockchain OK

or use the Blockchain class as a wrapper (pass in the blockchain array):

b0 = Block.first( 'Genesis' )
b1 = Block.next( b0, 'Transaction Data...' )
b2 = Block.next( b1, 'Transaction Data......' )
b3 = Block.next( b2, 'More Transaction Data...' )

blockchain = [b0, b1, b2, b3]


b = Blockchain.new( blockchain )

b.broken?
# => false      ## blockchain OK

and so on.

Transactions

Let's put the transactions from the (hyper) ledger book from Tulips on the Blockchain! on the blockchain:

From	To	What	Qty
Dutchgrown (†)	Vincent	Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset	10
Keukenhof (†)	Anne	Tulip Semper Augustus	7
Flowers (†)	Ruben	Tulip Admiral van Eijck	5
Vicent	Anne	Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset	3
Anne	Julia	Tulip Semper Augustus	1
Julia	Luuk	Tulip Semper Augustus	1
Bloom & Blossom (†)	Daisy	Tulip Admiral of Admirals	8
Vincent	Max	Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset	2
Anne	Martijn	Tulip Semper Augustus	2
Ruben	Julia	Tulip Admiral van Eijck	2
Teleflora (†)	Max	Tulip Red Impression	11
Anne	Naomi	Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset	1
Daisy	Vincent	Tulip Admiral of Admirals	3
Julia	Mina	Tulip Admiral van Eijck	1

(†): Grower Transaction - New Tulips on the Market!

b0 = Block.first(
        { from: "Dutchgrown", to: "Vincent", what: "Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset", qty: 10 },
        { from: "Keukenhof",  to: "Anne",    what: "Tulip Semper Augustus",    qty: 7  } )

b1 = Block.next( b0,
        { from: "Flowers", to: "Ruben", what: "Tulip Admiral van Eijck",  qty: 5 },
        { from: "Vicent",  to: "Anne",  what: "Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset", qty: 3 },
        { from: "Anne",    to: "Julia", what: "Tulip Semper Augustus",    qty: 1 },
        { from: "Julia",   to: "Luuk",  what: "Tulip Semper Augustus",    qty: 1 } )

b2 = Block.next( b1,
        { from: "Bloom & Blossom", to: "Daisy",   what: "Tulip Admiral of Admirals", qty: 8 },
        { from: "Vincent",         to: "Max",     what: "Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset",  qty: 2 },
        { from: "Anne",            to: "Martijn", what: "Tulip Semper Augustus",     qty: 2 },
        { from: "Ruben",           to: "Julia",   what: "Tulip Admiral van Eijck",   qty: 2 } )
...

resulting in:

[#<Block:0x2da3da0
  @index              = 0,
  @timestamp          = 1637-09-24 11:40:15,
  @previous_hash      = "0",
  @hash               = "32bd169baebba0b70491b748329ab631c85175be15e1672f924ca174f628cb66",
  @transactions_count = 2,
  @transactions       =
   [{:from=>"Dutchgrown", :to=>"Vincent", :what=>"Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset", :qty=>10},
    {:from=>"Keukenhof",  :to=>"Anne",    :what=>"Tulip Semper Augustus",    :qty=>7}]>,
 #<Block:0x2da2ff0
  @index              = 1,
  @timestamp          = 1637-09-24 11:50:15,
  @previous_hash      = "32bd169baebba0b70491b748329ab631c85175be15e1672f924ca174f628cb66",
  @hash               = "57b519a8903e45348ac8a739c788815e2bd90423663957f87e276307f77f1028",
  @transactions_count = 4,
  @transactions       =
   [{:from=>"Flowers", :to=>"Ruben", :what=>"Tulip Admiral van Eijck",  :qty=>5},
    {:from=>"Vicent",  :to=>"Anne",  :what=>"Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset", :qty=>3},
    {:from=>"Anne",    :to=>"Julia", :what=>"Tulip Semper Augustus",    :qty=>1},
    {:from=>"Julia",   :to=>"Luuk",  :what=>"Tulip Semper Augustus",    :qty=>1}]>,
 #<Block:0x2da2720
  @index              = 2,
  @timestamp          = 1637-09-24 12:00:15,
  @previous_hash      = "57b519a8903e45348ac8a739c788815e2bd90423663957f87e276307f77f1028",
  @hash               = "ec7dd5ea86ab966d4d4db182abb7aa93c7e5f63857476e6301e7e38cebf36568",
  @transactions_count = 4,
  @transactions       =
   [{:from=>"Bloom & Blossom", :to=>"Daisy",   :what=>"Tulip Admiral of Admirals", :qty=>8},
    {:from=>"Vincent",         :to=>"Max",     :what=>"Tulip Bloemendaal Sunset",  :qty=>2},
    {:from=>"Anne",            :to=>"Martijn", :what=>"Tulip Semper Augustus",     :qty=>2},
    {:from=>"Ruben",           :to=>"Julia",   :what=>"Tulip Admiral van Eijck",   :qty=>2}]>,
 ...

Install

Just install the gem:

$ gem install blockchain-lite

License

The blockchain.lite scripts are dedicated to the public domain. Use it as you please with no restrictions whatsoever.